Essien eyes March return

Midfielder backs Hiddink appointment

Last updated: 18th February 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Essien eyes March return

Essien: Close to return

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Injured Chelsea star Michael Essien has targeted a return to action next month.

Essien is back in light training as he continues his recovery from a cruciate ligament injury.

The midfield powerhouse has been on the sidelines since August with the injury, but is making progress on his return to fitness.

Essien has been included in Chelsea's UEFA Champions League squad and the Ghana international is hopeful of returning to the side in March.

"According to [rehabilitation physio Thierry] Laurent, it should not take more than one month for me to play actively again," Essien told 90minutes.

"He has assured me that once we go through a few other exercises for two or three weeks, I should be fit enough to return to the pitch."

Experience

Essien also believes new manager Guus Hiddink is the right man to get the club's season back on track.

"Hiddink has been around for quite a while and knows what it takes to get positive results out of nothing," added Essien.

"He is a fantastic manager, so we hope he will bring the magic to give us the strength we need to mount a challenge in all competitions."